Gardening advice | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardeningadvice
Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:43:52 GMT2015-03-03T19:43:52Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
Gardens: the March checklist | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/gardens-the-march-checklist
<p>The daffodils are up, and on warm days the bees are already busy. It’s the start of the growing season, so get in gear</p><p>As soon as buds start to break, newly sprung foliage will put stress upon roots that haven’t yet made proper contact with the soil, so I aim to get all bare roots in their final positions by the end of the month. With growth low but burgeoning, it is the perfect time to divide perennials. Lift carefully with a fork and split the clump with two forks set back to back and levered to prize the clumps apart. Discard the old growth in the centre of the clump and reuse the vigorous divisions from the perimeter. If you are replanting in the same position, take the opportunity to improve the soil with compost and a handful of blood, fish and bone spread.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/gardens-the-march-checklist">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 01 Mar 2015 06:00:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/gardens-the-march-checklistPhotograph: Jason Ingram/ObserverBox of delights: chitted potatoes ready to be planted out.Photograph: Jason Ingram/ObserverBox of delights: chitted potatoes ready to be planted out.Photograph: Jason Ingram/ObserverLooking sharp: Dan pruning the roses. Photograph: Jason Ingram for the ObserverPhotograph: Jason Ingram/ObserverLooking sharp: Dan pruning the roses. Photograph: Jason Ingram for the ObserverDan Pearson2015-03-01T06:00:10ZAsk Alys: your gardening questions answeredhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/evergreen-creeper-safe-dog-fast-growing-cover
<p>What evergreen creeper would be safe for my dog and provide fast-growing cover?</p><p><strong>I planned to plant Virginia creeper against a trellis but read that the berries are poisonous to dogs. What evergreen creeper would be safe for my dog and provide fast-growing cover?</strong></p><p>I assume you have space to cover because Virginia creeper (<em>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</em>) is one beast of a plant. One choice is the evergreen armand clematis (<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/3923/i-Clematis-armandii-i/Details"><em>Clematis armandii</em></a>). It produces single, highly fragrant creamy white flowers in early to mid spring. Variety ‘<a href="http://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/clematis-armandii-apple-blossom/classid.864/">Apple Blossom</a>’ has a slight pink blush to the flowers and will spread to 8 metres tall and 2 metres wide: if it’s happy it grows fast. All clematis like to have their feet in moisture-retentive, rich soil, so dig in plenty of organic matter before you plant. It’s also wise to bury clematis stems 5-10cm deeper than the pot they came in, to encourage shoots from below ground level and help protect against clematis wilt.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/evergreen-creeper-safe-dog-fast-growing-cover">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceLife and styleGardensSat, 28 Feb 2015 06:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/evergreen-creeper-safe-dog-fast-growing-coverPhotograph: /AlamyThe chocolate vine has deep purple-brown flowers with a vanilla scent in spring. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: /AlamyThe chocolate vine has deep purple-brown flowers with a vanilla scent in spring. Photograph: AlamyAlys Fowler2015-02-28T06:00:08ZAlys Fowler: composthttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/alys-fowler-compost-advice
<p>‘Well-rotted leaf mould is a fine peat substitute for seeds – and it’s free to anyone who bothers to make it’</p><p>One of the great pleasures in life is opening a bag of seed compost and sinking your hand deep inside. It’s not just that it’s deliciously soft; it’s knowing that this is the key to starting off a healthy plant.</p><p>OK, maybe not life, but it’s one of February’s joys, because it’s the first serious start to spring. Sweet peas, chillies, leeks, onions, snapdragons, cosmos and on and on until summer. It all starts in a good bed of fine compost.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/alys-fowler-compost-advice">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 28 Feb 2015 06:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/28/alys-fowler-compost-advicePhotograph: Alamy‘One of the great pleasures in life is opening a bag of seed compost and sinking your hand deep inside.’ Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: Alamy‘One of the great pleasures in life is opening a bag of seed compost and sinking your hand deep inside.’ Photograph: AlamyAlys Fowler2015-02-28T06:00:08ZEarth to Alys: Bee-friendly plug planting - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/feb/27/earth-alys-bee-friendly-plug-planting-video
Alys Fowler paints her Spring garden with plug plants and their heavy, pollen-laden flowers to attract the pollinators to her garden. She plants small plugs of lavender, rudbeckia and verbena which will eventually be covered in flower hosts for the bees. Six months later, in September, she shows how the plants have grown and explains how investing in plug plants now will guarantee a healthier garden in the future <br /><br />Find the plants in the <a href="http://www.guardiangardencentre.co.uk">Guardian Garden Centre</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/feb/27/earth-alys-bee-friendly-plug-planting-video">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/feb/27/earth-alys-bee-friendly-plug-planting-videoAlamyA6YR3D Bumblebee collecting nectar. Image shot 2005. Exact date unknown..bumble.bee.bombus.Nature.insects.Bombus.Hortorum.Nectar.Pollination.Macro.photography.Close.up.photography.wild.life.purple.flower.yellowAlys Fowler and Lily Brazier2015-02-27T12:00:00ZGardens: clear the decks | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/gardens-clear-the-decks
<p>With winter on the wane, it’s time to get your garden ready for the start of the growing season. Cut to the chase!</p><p>The grip of February is easing and the push of life is evident. Catkins hang creamily from the hazel in the nuttery. Catch them at the right moment and you can see the pollen blown in creamy puffs from branch to branch. Tucked up by the fire inside, we have only just finished last year’s nuts. It’s good to see this year’s cycle begin.</p><p>Though we have a way to go yet before growth is properly on our side, these signs are sure and clear. Looking down to the bare ground in the rain-beaten vegetable garden, I can see that the opium poppies are already germinating. Alongside them are the Californian poppies and the calendula on their mission to get a tap root established before the weather warms.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/gardens-clear-the-decks">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 22 Feb 2015 06:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/gardens-clear-the-decksPhotograph: Rachel Husband/AlamyBulbs beginning to shoot.Photograph: Rachel Husband/AlamyBulbs beginning to shoot.Photograph: Keith M Law/AlamyGreen party: hazel catkins. Photograph: Keith M Law/AlamyDan Pearson2015-02-22T06:00:04ZHow to make the most of house plantshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/how-to-make-most-of-house-plants
<p>House plants breathe life into interiors, while cleaning the air as they grow. The trick is to recreate their natural environment. Photographs by David Cleveland. Styling by Sally Cullen</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2015/feb/20/share-your-photos-of-houseplants">Share your photos of house plants via GuardianWitness</a><br></li></ul><p>As the late winter sun sets, I watch the shadows play out over the living room wall. A set of car headlights illuminates the never-never plant (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenanthe_oppenheimiana"><em>Ctenanthe oppenheimiana</em></a>) and it flexes a leaf. It often stretches out its stalk and flips a leaf at the TV: I like to imagine it’s a response to a programme, but it’s just a quirk of its family, the arrowroots (<em>Maranthaceae</em>).</p><p>It’s common in arrowroots for the base of the leaf to be swollen into something called a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulvinus">pulvinus</a> – that’s akin to a knee joint, and allows the plant to move independently of growth. The pulvinus allows leaves better to intercept light filtering through to the forest floor of its native home, though I like to think of it as a friendly house plant that waves at you every now and then.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/how-to-make-most-of-house-plants">Continue reading...</a>HomesLife and styleGardensGardening adviceSat, 21 Feb 2015 06:00:25 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/how-to-make-most-of-house-plantsPhotograph: David Cleveland for the GuardianFrom left: Normann Copenhagen Agnes <a href="http://goodhoodstore.com/store/8029">vase</a>, £76, goodhoodstore.com. Rustic <a href="http://www.miafleur.com/rustic-plant-pots">plant po</a>t, £12.95, miafleur.com (neoregelia bromeliad). Muuto Silent <a href="http://goodhoodstore.com/store/11297">vase</a> in grey, £45, goodhoodstore.com (old man cactus). Serax <a href="http://www.trianglestore.co.uk/">vase</a>, £38, trianglestore.co.uk (Streptocarpus ‘Grace’ and ‘Pink Leyla’). Meyer-Lavigne Lotta Flower Me Happy <a href="http://www.uniqueandunity.co.uk/all-decorative-accessories/lotta-flower-me-happy-pot.html">pot</a>, £49, uniqueandunity.co.uk. Jurassic <a href="http://www.habitat.co.uk/jurassic-green-textured-ceramic-vase///fcp-product/123131">vase</a>, £25, habitat.co.uk. Kerio window <a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/anthro/product/7560290022117.jsp?color=030?cm_vc=SEARCH_RESULTS#/">pot</a>, £28, anthropologie.eu (pink quills). Plants supplied by <a href="http://www.houseofplants.co.uk/">House of Plants</a>, <a href="http://www.dibleys.com/">Dibleys Nurseries</a>, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/">Ikea</a>, <a href="http://www.dobbies.com/">Dobbies</a>, <a href="http://www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk/">Wyevale Garden Centres</a> and <a href="http://www.diy.com/departments/outdoor-garden/plants-trees-seeds-bulbs/houseplants/DIY581222.cat">B&amp;Q</a>.Photograph: David Cleveland for the GuardianFrom left: Normann Copenhagen Agnes <a href="http://goodhoodstore.com/store/8029">vase</a>, £76, goodhoodstore.com. Rustic <a href="http://www.miafleur.com/rustic-plant-pots">plant po</a>t, £12.95, miafleur.com (neoregelia bromeliad). Muuto Silent <a href="http://goodhoodstore.com/store/11297">vase</a> in grey, £45, goodhoodstore.com (old man cactus). Serax <a href="http://www.trianglestore.co.uk/">vase</a>, £38, trianglestore.co.uk (Streptocarpus ‘Grace’ and ‘Pink Leyla’). Meyer-Lavigne Lotta Flower Me Happy <a href="http://www.uniqueandunity.co.uk/all-decorative-accessories/lotta-flower-me-happy-pot.html">pot</a>, £49, uniqueandunity.co.uk. Jurassic <a href="http://www.habitat.co.uk/jurassic-green-textured-ceramic-vase///fcp-product/123131">vase</a>, £25, habitat.co.uk. Kerio window <a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/anthro/product/7560290022117.jsp?color=030?cm_vc=SEARCH_RESULTS#/">pot</a>, £28, anthropologie.eu (pink quills). Plants supplied by <a href="http://www.houseofplants.co.uk/">House of Plants</a>, <a href="http://www.dibleys.com/">Dibleys Nurseries</a>, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/">Ikea</a>, <a href="http://www.dobbies.com/">Dobbies</a>, <a href="http://www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk/">Wyevale Garden Centres</a> and <a href="http://www.diy.com/departments/outdoor-garden/plants-trees-seeds-bulbs/houseplants/DIY581222.cat">B&amp;Q</a>.Photograph: /David ClevelandHouseplants do valuable work. Photograph: David ClevelandPhotograph: /David ClevelandHouseplants do valuable work. Photograph: David ClevelandAlys Fowler2015-02-21T06:00:25ZAlys Fowler: broad beanshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/alys-fowler-broad-beans
<p>‘The best plan with broad beans? Sow some in October and some now, to hedge your bets’</p><p>On a slow meander back from the allotment, poking about the woods to see what was stirring, I came across a rat in its hole. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2014/jan/18/alys-fowler-gardening-living-with-rats">I don’t much like rats</a>, but this one, with its new spring coat and bright beady eyes, sitting in the most picturesque of woodland rat holes, looked splendid. The hole was decorated with ivy and the rat looked pleased with its setting. If I were someone of a more fanciful nature, I’d say that the rat looked almost as if it were inviting me in for tea. Then I remembered; that rat looks plump and lovely because it has been eating all my broad beans.</p><p>I am a fan of sowing broad beans in October, particularly the field bean <a href="http://www.realseeds.co.uk/broadbeanseed.html">‘Wizard’</a>. This is a sturdy, hardy bean that dries exceptionally well and makes excellent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ful_medames">ful medames</a>, falafels and the like. It’s such a reliable crop, it became a winter staple. I sowed them a little late last year – it was almost November but the weather was mild.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/alys-fowler-broad-beans">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 21 Feb 2015 06:00:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/alys-fowler-broad-beansPhotograph: AlamySow broad beans till the end of March. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamySow broad beans till the end of March. Photograph: AlamyAlys Fowler2015-02-21T06:00:10ZGardens: dogwood days | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/gardens-dogwood-cornus-coloured-stems
<p>The crimson stems of cornus will brighten up even the darkest days of winter</p><p>You need a lift in February when the winter takes its toll. So, with the backdrop of a yew hedge and behind that the red of a tile-hung house, I set out a garden with coloured-stemmed cornus as its base.</p><p>Elsewhere in the garden we have the winter-flowering Cornelian cherry, <em>Cornus mas,</em> popping acid-green flowers. But the cornus in the new planting were selected specifically for their stems. Coloured-stemmed varieties are often used in car parks, but don’t hate them because of that. Grown well – and this is down to good pruning – they are easy and reliable garden plants. All they need is a sunny position and hearty soil. Removing a third of their growth to the base at the end of the winter will encourage the newest stems with the most brilliant colour.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/gardens-dogwood-cornus-coloured-stems">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 15 Feb 2015 06:01:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/gardens-dogwood-cornus-coloured-stemsPhotograph: Dave Zubraski /AlamyRed alert: Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. Photograph: Dave Zubraski /AlamyPhotograph: Dave Zubraski /AlamyRed alert: Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. Photograph: Dave Zubraski /AlamyDan Pearson2015-02-15T06:01:05ZAlys Fowler: chillieshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/alys-fowler-chillies
<p>‘The more mean you are to chilli plants, the hotter the fruit seems to get’</p><p>I have a ritual where I sow a few chillies early in January. It’s mostly a symbolic gesture to surviving winter: with each day that passes, the seedlings get a little more light, and I get to mark the last stretch. I start these chillies off knowing that I will end up juggling space because of them. Too young to go out to a cold greenhouse, they take up space in the heated propagator like teenagers loitering around school hall radiators. Still, I am deeply fond of the ritual.</p><p>The smart thing would be to just start the chillies off now, allowing them to grow with the lengthening days. They still need heat to germinate: between 21-28C and as much light as you can give them – remember they hail from sun-drenched South America.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/alys-fowler-chillies">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 14 Feb 2015 06:01:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/alys-fowler-chilliesPhotograph: Alamy‘”Numex Twilight” is the best windowsill chilli I’ve grown.’Photograph: Alamy‘”Numex Twilight” is the best windowsill chilli I’ve grown.’Alys Fowler2015-02-14T06:01:01ZAsk Alys: honey fungushttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/ask-alys-honey-fungus
<p>Can anything survive where honey fungus has been? It killed my climbing rose</p><p><strong>Honey fungus killed my climbing rose. I want to plant a small tree or large shrub in its place. Can anything survive where honey fungus has been?</strong></p><p>Honey fungus is a damaging fungal disease. The name applies to several species of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armillaria">Armillaria</a> that spread up to 30 metres underground, attacking and killing the roots of many perennial plants. If your rose went down, many others can go that way, too. No plant is completely immune, but black walnuts, bamboos, arundinaria, Japanese flowering quince, jasmines, nyssa, holm oaks and gingko are known to be less susceptible. The box elder (<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/217/i-Acer-negundo-i/Details"><em>Acer negundo</em></a>) has very good resistance and offers lovely autumn colour, though it grows large – 12 metres tall after 20 years. Perhaps a better solution is the silk tassel bush (<em>Garrya elliptica</em>), a lovely evergreen shrub. The cultivar <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/95309/Garrya-elliptica-James-Roof-%28m%29/Details">‘James Roof’</a> has particularly long, grey-green catkins and a wonderful Victorian air.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/ask-alys-honey-fungus">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 14 Feb 2015 06:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/14/ask-alys-honey-fungusPhotograph: AlamyThe Japanese flowering quince has very good resistance to honey fungus.Alys Fowler2015-02-14T06:00:01ZAlys Fowler: pruninghttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/07/alys-fowler-pruning-advice
<p>‘The first cuts are to remove anything that is dead, damaged or diseased. Never cut without good reason’<br></p><p>On those rare winter days when the sun shines and everything is bathed in rose gold, get outside and prune. Pruning requires an optimistic state of mind, and the sun helps. It seems an unnatural habit, but you are just behaving as a herbivore. Plants have adapted to be eaten a little here and&nbsp;there, or to be whipped by the wind and broken off. Losing a little of themselves this way often boosts productivity, meaning more flowers and fruit, but do it wrong and you will get the opposite effect.</p><p>Always go slowly when pruning. Too little is hardly a sin; too much and the plant responds with a flurry of the wrong sort of growth. Heavy pruning drastically reduces its ability to photosynthesise, so it has to rectify that fast; or,&nbsp;if&nbsp;it’s a really drastic prune, very, very slowly, as it ekes out resources from its roots to regrow.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/07/alys-fowler-pruning-advice">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 07 Feb 2015 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/07/alys-fowler-pruning-advicePhotograph: GAP Photos‘Always go slowly when pruning.’ Photograph: GAP PhotosPhotograph: GAP Photos‘Always go slowly when pruning.’ Photograph: GAP PhotosAlys Fowler2015-02-07T06:00:00ZGardens: the February checklist | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/dan-pearson-gardens-february-checklist
<p>When the first of the golden celandines and pristine white snowdrops begin to appear, it is time to start preparing your garden for spring<br></p><p>Summer-flowering clematis are some of the first plants to start growing. A hard prune to a bud at knee-height will ensure that the plants do not form a bird’s nest of growth at the top. Make sure that you train in the new shoots, with pea sticks or a brush, as they can easily sprawl if not given support. Most plants that are pruned hard for flower or foliage appreciate a spring feed. A handful of slow-release blood, fish and bone spread over their root zone, and a mulch of compost, will set them up for the summer.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/dan-pearson-gardens-february-checklist">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 01 Feb 2015 06:00:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/dan-pearson-gardens-february-checklistPhotograph: D Hurst/AlamyIn the red: ripening loganberries.Photograph: D Hurst/AlamyIn the red: ripening loganberries.Photograph: David Chapman/AlamySpring forward: Galanthus nivalis (snowdrops) emerging. Photograph: David Chapman/AlamyPhotograph: David Chapman/AlamySpring forward: Galanthus nivalis (snowdrops) emerging. Photograph: David Chapman/AlamyDan Pearson2015-02-01T06:00:11ZAsk Alys: your gardening questions answeredhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/barometer-plants-early-warning-system-garden
I want to grow ‘barometer’ plants to use as an early warning system for my garden<p><strong>I would like to grow some “barometer plants” to use as an early warning system for my garden. What plants are first to respond to frost, first to bolt and first to wilt? Is this a waste of time?</strong></p><p>It’s not a waste of time, but I’m not sure you’d have to invest in any particular variety. I would use half-hardy annuals that are sensitive to frost, such as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/30/alys-fowler-cosmos" title="">cosmos</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2012/jan/26/lobelias" title="">lobelia</a> or <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/30/alys-fowler-nasturtiums" title="">nasturtiums</a>. One side of my tiny garden can act so differently from the other that only by growing the&nbsp;same plant in several spots have&nbsp;I&nbsp;learned which plant can tolerate what.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/barometer-plants-early-warning-system-garden">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 31 Jan 2015 06:00:38 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/barometer-plants-early-warning-system-gardenPhotograph: Alamy'Cosmos are half-hardy annuals that are sensitive to frost.'Alys Fowler2015-01-31T06:00:38ZAlys Fowler: sprouting avocado pipshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/alys-fowler-sprouting-avocado-pips
‘I can never see a pip and not yearn to sprout it. It’s a perfect January distraction’<p>I started to write about green manures,&nbsp;but then I took the dog for a&nbsp;blustery walk to the plot before the light failed. It was sodden, as were we, and I thought, it’s madness to write of sowing when spring is still tucked up in bed. So I came home and ate an overripe avocado. I have a terrible avocado habit, particularly when the days&nbsp;are drab and sad, as they are now. I long not for the soft, green flesh, though it’s a nice byproduct, but for the fat seed. I can never see a&nbsp;pip and not yearn to sprout it. It’s a perfect January distraction.</p><p>There is a good book called The Avocado Pip Grower’s Handbook, by Hazel Perper. (It is out of print, but <a href="http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=avocado+pip+grower%27s+handbook&amp;sts=t&amp;x=0&amp;y=0" title="">AbeBooks.co.uk</a> can usually find one.) It&nbsp;was written in the late 1970s, when the fruit was all the rage. Perper went on to write several books about grocery store growing – one on citrus pips and another about growing oats and other cereals – all from her gardenless Manhattan apartment. It’s a strange classic of a very slim oeuvre, but it’s worthwhile for the tips on pruning alone.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/alys-fowler-sprouting-avocado-pips">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 31 Jan 2015 06:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/alys-fowler-sprouting-avocado-pipsPhotograph: /Alamy'Getting avocado pips to sprout is easy.' Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: /Alamy'Getting avocado pips to sprout is easy.' Photograph: AlamyAlys Fowler2015-01-31T06:00:07ZGardens: winter lights | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/gardens-winter-lights-dan-pearson
<p>Winter is not all bare branches and smoking chimneys – this time of year has its own blasts of colour and perfume <br></p><p>There is a young <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/24107/Acacia-dealbata/Details"><em>Acacia dealbata</em></a> not far from us in Waterloo that I go out of my way to visit. In the summer it sits back and you pass it without thinking, but in midwinter it dons its floral plumage to ruffle the tree into an out-of-season spectacle.</p><p>Mimosa reminds me of winter trips to a garden I was making in southern Italy and where, in soft sunshine, the air is warm enough to carry the delicious perfume. The mimosa experience, even in the midst of our grey capital, would not be the same if it performed at any other time. Making space in the garden for something that blooms out of season will rekindle your faith in the bleakest weeks. A witch hazel, for instance, popping gold from cinnamon buds, will carry you through to the snowdrops and winter aconites still to arrive.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/gardens-winter-lights-dan-pearson">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 25 Jan 2015 05:59:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/gardens-winter-lights-dan-pearsonPhotograph: AlamyWinter-flowering honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) in bloom.Photograph: AlamyWinter-flowering honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) in bloom.Photograph: AlamyMellow yellow: mimosa tree blossom – a cheerful sight in winter. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyMellow yellow: mimosa tree blossom – a cheerful sight in winter. Photograph: AlamyDan Pearson2015-01-25T05:59:00ZAlys Fowler: the garden that looks and tastes goodhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/24/alys-fowler-norwegian-edible-garden
<p>‘This garden is thrilling. It’s a sheer hillside with a spectacular view. And nearly everything is edible’</p><p>I like to search for things. I’ll take any&nbsp;excuse to go on a hunt for something in fields, waysides, woodlands, junk stores, attics or the internet. This is how I came across Stephen&nbsp;Barstow a few years ago while writing a book about foraging. I&nbsp;was, metaphorically speaking, foraging on the internet for a new source of food and I found an article about a man who made a ridiculously large salad. It&nbsp;had&nbsp;something like 537 ingredients, took several days to assemble and was a world record. I&nbsp;had to meet him.</p><p>I persuaded Stephen that I wasn’t a serial killer and that he should invite me to his garden in Norway, then asked photographer Simon Wheeler to join the adventure. The night before we left, I realised I’d not asked Stephen if he was a serial killer, because that’s what you’re supposed to ask men you meet on the internet, right?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/24/alys-fowler-norwegian-edible-garden">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 24 Jan 2015 06:00:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/24/alys-fowler-norwegian-edible-gardenPhotograph: Simon Wheeler‘Nearly everything Stephen Barstow grows is edible.’ Photograph: Simon WheelerPhotograph: Simon Wheeler‘Nearly everything Stephen Barstow grows is edible.’ Photograph: Simon WheelerAlys Fowler2015-01-24T06:00:35ZUrban gardens bloom in Melbourne's unused city spaces – videohttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/jan/20/urban-city-gardening-melbourne-weed-foraging-video
From derelict lots to inner-city car parks, Melbourne is becoming home to a new generation of city gardeners. Across the city, groups such as 3000 Acres and the Little Veggie Patch Co are helping vegetable and flower growers use city spaces, and weed foragers are learning to eat plants long shunned as a food source <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/jan/20/urban-city-gardening-melbourne-weed-foraging-video">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceVictoriaLife and styleAustralia newsFoodFood & drinkVegetablesWorld newsTue, 20 Jan 2015 22:48:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2015/jan/20/urban-city-gardening-melbourne-weed-foraging-videoGuardian AustraliaGardening with 3000 Acres in Melbourne Photograph: Guardian AustraliaBill Code2015-01-20T22:48:45ZGardens: early risers | Dan Pearsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/gardens-forcing-bulbs-early-blooms
<p>The first blooms of spring are still some way off, but by gently forcing bulbs you can enjoy some out-of-season colour<strong> </strong></p><p>When I planted my bulbs in September, I held a few back for pots that I moved into the cold frame. The frame offers little more than shelter, but its microclimate is enough to encourage activity during the winter. I keep it chocked open so that air is free to move around it, and only close the lid in the worst of the freeze. Protection is mostly about keeping things dry– the worst of winter damage often comes when things get too wet.</p><p>I have always loved bulbs that are willing to tolerate gentle forcing and reward a growth-hungry gardener pining for action in winter. When you are encouraging bulbs to grow that little bit earlier, it is important to acclimatise them so that they do not go from cool to centrally heated in one swift movement. A move into an unheated room or a porch and then on inside after you see them accelerating is the way to go.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/gardens-forcing-bulbs-early-blooms">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSun, 18 Jan 2015 05:59:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/gardens-forcing-bulbs-early-bloomsPhotograph: John Glover/Alamy‘Powerful perfume’: Narcissus Scilly Spring.Photograph: John Glover/Alamy‘Powerful perfume’: Narcissus Scilly Spring.Photograph: John Glover/AlamyColour pop: the purple blooms of Iris reticulata Pauline. Photograph: John Glover/AlamyPhotograph: John Glover/AlamyColour pop: the purple blooms of Iris reticulata Pauline. Photograph: John Glover/AlamyDan Pearson2015-01-18T05:59:11ZAlys Fowler: hop to ithttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/hops-as-garden-plant-alys-fowler
<p>Hops are about a lot more than just beer. They make a great climbing plant for domestic gardens, too</p><p>In Almaty, Kazakhstan, hops grow everywhere: up telephone poles, along fences, swinging between trees. Their cones are fat and thick, and their sweet, soporific smell makes hot afternoons&nbsp;heady.</p><p>The hop, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humulus_lupulus" title=""><em>Humulus lupulus</em></a>, is a cold-hardy perennial bine (note, it’s not a vine, because it twines clockwise around its support, rather than sending out tendrils or suckers) famous for imparting the necessary bitter notes in beer. Each spring, soft, new, green shoots emerge, followed (if you have a female plant) by thick, sweet-smelling cones. The cones have antimicrobial properties, so they play a role in brewing, too, as a preservative. By&nbsp;autumn, the plant retreats back into the tough, underground rhizomes, at which point you can cut down any spent foliage.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/hops-as-garden-plant-alys-fowler">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 17 Jan 2015 06:00:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/hops-as-garden-plant-alys-fowlerPhotograph: Getty‘In spring, eat the young shoots and leaves in salads.’ Photograph: GettyPhotograph: Getty‘In spring, eat the young shoots and leaves in salads.’ Photograph: GettyAlys Fowler2015-01-17T06:00:20ZAsk Alys: your gardening questions answeredhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/window-box-plants-attract-bees
<p>What should I put in window boxes to attract bees?</p><p><strong>I’d like window boxes on the ledges of my house, which faces east. Can you recommend plants that attract bees, and what soil to use?</strong><br />I learned the hard way that window boxes need to be secured in place: an internet search for window box brackets will give you everything from the ornamental to the practical. Invest in a window box with a drip tray or reservoir, because window ledges are windy places and plants dry out fast. Use good-quality, peat-free multipurpose compost, and add perlite to lighten the load if weight is an issue. Add slow-release fertiliser, or be prepared to feed on a regular basis from about six weeks after planting. Container plants only look great if they are fed every two weeks during the growing season.</p><p>Heathers such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calluna" title=""><em>Calluna vulgaris</em></a><em> </em>or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica_vagans" title=""><em>Erica vagans</em></a> are two low-maintenance plants that won’t mind exposed conditions and are loved by bees. Underplant with early spring bulbs: <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/11247/Armenian-grape-hyacinth/Details" title=""><em>Muscari armeniacum</em></a> and <a href="http://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/narcissus-cyclamineus-tete-a-tete/classid.1000000302/" title=""><em>Narcissus </em>‘T&ecirc;te-&agrave;-t&ecirc;te’</a> look nice in pots. Then how about some ivy-leaved trailing pelargoniums for summer? They’ll be happy in full sun or part shade. Finally, heucheras are invincible, appreciated by bees and happy in sun or shade.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/window-box-plants-attract-bees">Continue reading...</a>Gardening adviceGardensLife and styleSat, 17 Jan 2015 06:00:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/17/window-box-plants-attract-beesPhotograph: /GettyIce plant, sweet marjoram, chrysanthemum and heather. Photograph: GettyPhotograph: /GettyIce plant, sweet marjoram, chrysanthemum and heather. Photograph: GettyAlys Fowler2015-01-17T06:00:12Z